


Time to be Harshly Judged by all of Your Peers!

by AFlameThatFlickersOutTooSoon



Series: Heed Not the Wizards Who Scream Revolution (a Hamilsquad Hogwarts au) [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A quote from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Gryffindor John Laurens, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, Lots of time skips, Philip Schuyler likes dinner parties, Slytherin Aaron Burr, Slytherin Alexander Hamilton, Slytherin Angelica Schuyler, Slytherin Thomas Jefferson, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 02:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15305649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFlameThatFlickersOutTooSoon/pseuds/AFlameThatFlickersOutTooSoon
Summary: Alex tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the others in the room. He was tempted to start running in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs, and he almost did, but his roommates were all better people while unconscious.





	Time to be Harshly Judged by all of Your Peers!

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. So, um, I’m really sorry for taking this long to update. I really have no excuse other than I procrastinate a lot and subsequently take forever to get things done.
> 
> I’d like to thank Lhumyaki, JustABookwurm, and Calia09 for commenting on the first two parts of this series. Feedback really does inspire writes to write more, even if it doesn’t show in how often I post things, and I’m thankful for any comments I get, even if I don’t reply.
> 
> Also, I’m really sorry if anything I write seems like it doesn’t work with the setting. I’m from America, so I don’t really know how people who aren’t from America talk. This isn’t that big of an issue I don’t think, especially because most of the characters are also from America, but since there are other characters talking in dialogue that isn’t taken directly from the book I thought I’d mention it. Idk I just wanted to apologize in advance because I know I’ve read fics set in America by people who aren’t from America and been kinda like, ‘That’s not how people talk here.’
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Hamilton, Harry Potter, or the quote I put in from The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
> 
> I didn’t check over this at all, so prepare for a lot of mistakes.

The dormitory was eerily quiet when Alex woke up. He couldn’t tell what time it was, given the lack of a clock and the lack of windows, among other things, but it seemed to be very early. He tried to go back to sleep for maybe fifteen minutes before giving up and dragging himself out of bed. He tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the others in the room. He was tempted to start running in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs, and he almost did, but his roommates were all better people while unconscious. He’d been forced to sit through a night of complaining about everyone who wasn’t pureblood and raised by wizards, and he was really not looking forward to anyone in his house finding out he was both not pureblood and also raised by his muggle mother.

He grabbed his robes and went to go take a quick shower, then spend ten minutes trying to figure out how to tie a tie. Once he thought he had it right, he exited the dormitory into the common room. It was dark; lit only by torches that cast a faintly green tinged light through the room. There were green velvety couches sporadically scattered around, and a currently unlit fireplace. At first glance, the room seemed to be completely empty, but- ah. Of course.

”Aaron Burr, sir!” 

Aaron glanced up from his book, saw that it was Alex, sighed, then carefully put a piece of paper in the book and snapped it shut.

”Alexander. You’re up early.”

”I could say the same to you.”

”Hm.” Aaron opened his book again.

”What time is it?”

”About 5 AM. Also, your tie is tied incorrectly.”

”Oh. Can you fix it?”

”Sure.” Alex moved to sit down next to Aaron as he fixed the tie. “When did I become the designated person for you to talk to when you’re lonely?”

”When you gave me directions to the platform, and when you became the only person in my house that I’ve both spoken to and can tolerate. And I’m not _lonely,_ just bored.”

”Keep telling yourself that.”

”I will. Because it’s true.” 

“Hm.” He finished tying the tie. “There. Fixed it.”

”Thanks Burr.”

He set his book down in his lap. “What are you doing up so early?”

”I don’t know. I just woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Burr nodded. “Same.” Then he glanced down at the watch strapped on his wrist. “We should head to breakfast if we want to avoid the crowds.”

”That sounds good.”

Aaron led him out of the dungeons and into the great hall, which Alex was thankful for, because he certainly would’ve gotten lost if he’d tried to find his way there on his own. The hall was almost completely empty; with the exception of a few others who had woken early. Burr seemed to be leading Alex towards one of them, sitting at the Slytherin table. She sat with her back to the door they’d entered through, so Alex couldn’t see her face. Long, dark, wavy hair was falling down her back and pulled half up. When she heard them approaching, she looked up and her expression immediately turned to one of distaste. Her entire demeanor radiated fierceness and demanded respect. She watched them walk with her dark eyes narrowed.

Burr leaned over the table next to her.

”Ah, if it isn’t Miss Schuyler. What are you doing with all us common folk? Hasn’t your family bought their own private table by now?”

She sent him a withering glare. Alex was impressed that it didn’t send Burr flinching back. It probably would’ve if it’d been directed at him.

Instead, all he did was raise an eyebrow at her. “You’re as charming as ever, I see.”

”And you’re as insufferable as ever.”

”You wound me.”

”Oh really? I didn’t realize you had emotions.”

Burr sighed at turned to Alex. “This, Alexander, is the lovely Angelica Schuyler.”

Angelica glanced up, as if just realizing Burr wasn’t alone. She looked him over, before holding out a hand. Alex shook it. “Alexander Hamilton.”

”It’s nice to meet you. You’re a first year?”

”No. I’ve been here for years, you just hadn’t noticed me despite us being in the same house.” Alex said dryly.

Angelica looked almost impressed.

”I like you, kid.”

~

John woke up slightly less miserable than he’d gone to sleep the night before. Mostly because it took him a moment to remember what had happened. When he did remember, he groaned and buried his face in a pillow. He could hear his roommates bustling around him, but they didn’t try to talk. Everyone had been carefully avoiding him since last night. He was half thankful for this, half not. Sure, no one talking to him meant no one to say things about his family. But no one talking to him also meant he had no one to spill his feelings to, and John knew from experience that him bottling everything up never went well. 

_And yet, I still continue to do it. Because I’m an idiot._

John stewed in his thoughts for a minute or so before being forced to confront his actual problem. 

_Gryffindor. I got sorted into_ Gryffindor. _Father’s going to kill me. Well, not literally. I think._

”Hey, um.” A quiet voice rang out, disrupting John’s internal monologue. “You. With the curly hair. John Laurens, isn’t it?” John pushed himself into a sitting position to blink bleary at whoever was trying to talk to him. It was Harry Potter. Harry freaking Potter.

”Yeah?” John glanced at the room. Everyone else in it was staring at Potter with disbelief.

”You might want to start getting ready. You might be late to your first class if you don’t.”

”...Thanks.”

”No problem.”

”C’mon Harry!” A redhead boy tugged on his sleeve. “We should go to breakfast.”

”Oh, yeah, sure.” Potter replied. He left with his friend.

~

Right after Harry’s brief conversation with John Laurens, Ron dragged him out out of the dormitories, and then the common room. Once they were out in the halls, Ron rounded on Harry.

”What were you thinking?”

”What do you mean?”

”Out of all the people in that room to talk to, you had to pick John Laurens?”

”What’s wrong with that?”

”What’s wrong with that? _What’s wrong with that?_ ” Ron’s voice was getting higher by the second. He took a few breaths, seemingly in order to compose himself. “I keep forgetting how little you know about the wizarding world.” Ron stopped for a second, then murmured, “But... he’s involved with muggles too...”

”What? Who’s involved with muggles?” Harry blinked, confused. 

”Harry. Surely you’ve heard of Henry Laurens.”

”I mean yeah. He’s... an American senator, isn’t he?”

”Yep. You know anything about his politics?”

”Not really. All I know is that the Dursleys support him.” Harry had sat through a few of his speeches with the Dursleys, but had spent most of it sitting there and not paying attention.

”Well, he’s pretty awful.”

”What does this have to do with John?”

”Think about it. Henry Laurens. John Laurens.”

It took Harry a minute to make the connection. “They’re related?”

Ron looked at him exasperatedly. “Henry Laurens is the father of John Laurens.”

”And this means?”

“It means that Laurens is like Malfoy. A stuck up rich pureblood who think he’s better than everyone else because of the way he was born. It means that you shouldn’t be talking to him.”

~

Eliza practically flew out of bed. She bounced around, getting ready for the day, before almost sprinting down to the great hall to get breakfast. No, she wasn’t late, just excited. Very excited. The fear of the past few days had somewhat lessened, leaving her with only a jittery excitement just waiting to explode. 

The hall was teeming with students by the time she got there. On her way to the Hufflepuff table, she spotted Angelica, talking to a few other Slytherins, and waved to her. Angelica smiled and waved back.

Breakfast was a blur. Eliza devoured most of her food, and snatched her timetable from her prefect’s hand as soon as he tried to hand it to her. She eagerly skimmed over it.

”Hey Liza.” A hand can to rest on her shoulder. Eliza spun around to see Angelica standing over her. “Excited for your first day?”

”Yeah! Only...”

”What?”

”I don’t know where anything is.”

Angelica laughed, “I can show you to all of your classes, don’t worry about that.”

”Thanks Angie! You’re a lifesaver.”

”No problem. Though I’m sure you could figure it out on your own. You’re smart, E.” Angelica ruffled her hair and sat down next to her at the table.

”Angelica!” Eliza yelped, “You messed up my hair!”

”It still looks fine.” Angelica said, as she messed it up even more.

Eliza retaliated by tugging on Angelica’s hair and causing it to fall out of its hairstyle. Angelica stuck her tongue out, and Eliza giggled.

”Miss Schuyler.” It was Professor McGonagall. “Please return to the Slytherin table.”

”Sure.” Professor McGonagall nodded once and walked away. Angelica glanced at Eliza. “I’ll wait for you right outside the hall.” 

“Thanks. I’ll be done in a minute.” Eliza finished off her toast and pumpkin juice, then leapt up from her seat. Angelica was waiting for her, just as promised.

Angelica was waiting for her after every class that day. Eliza didn’t know how she managed to do that and get to her classes on time, but she was grateful nonetheless.

~

”Hey John.” Alex came up behind John in the owlery.

”Hey Alex.” John sounded tired and defeated. He was clutching a rolled-up piece of parchment and he was looking around at all of the owls.

“How’re you doing?”

John ignored Alex and pointed at two of the owls, “Which of those do you think will be slower?”

”I don’t know. If either of us would know, it’d be you.”

”Hmm. I think probably that one.” He pointed at the gray one. He then beckoned it down and started tying the letter to its leg.

”Are you... intentionally choosing the slower owl? Why?”

John sighed. “Just delaying the inevitable. My dad told me to write him a letter as soon as I got here and tell him what house I’m in. He’ll be furious that I’m not in Slytherin.”

”What’s his deal? I’ve heard a bit about him, but I want to hear it from you to make sure I’m not getting anything wrong.”

”You’v heard about him already?”

”I mean, yeah. After what happened at the sorting, I couldn’t help but ask.”

”What have you heard?”

”So far I’ve heard that he’s a muggle born-hating, racist, sexist, homophobic, supporter of You Know Who.”

”What?” John looked shocked. The letter slipped from his hands and landed on the floor.

”Are you saying none of that is true?”

”Well... no, the first part is true, but despite his faults, my father would never support You Know Who!”

Alex held his hands in the air in mock surrender. ”Okay, okay, you don’t have to blow up at me about it.” 

John dragged his had over his face. “I’m sorry. I just- I’ve been really stressed. And I know he’s not the best guy, but I still love him. I have to, he’s my dad, you know?”

”Well... not really but I can pretend I do.”

”What do you mean?”

”My dad left when I was really little. I can barely remember him, and I couldn’t care less about the guy.”

John laughed weakly as he picked the letter off the floor and tied it to the owl’s leg. “I guess we both have pretty messed up relationships with our dads.” 

“I guess.” Alex crossed the room to lean on the giant window that John was standing at. They stared at the owl as it flew away, and they didn’t speak again until it was a tiny speck against the sky.

“So... are you going to leave?”

Alex looked at him in confusion. “What do mean?”

”I wouldn’t blame you if you did. You’re not going to have much luck finding any other friends if you keep hanging around me.”

“I’m not going to leave you just because of who your family is. I would have to be a terrible person to do that.”

”By that logic I’ve met a lot of terrible people.”

Alex didn’t have anything else to say after that. He only stood there with John.

~

Soon, everyone settled into a routine. For Angelica, it was simple. Rise before the sun, head down to breakfast with Aaron and Alexander, eat with them, then go over to talk to Eliza before heading to her first class, second class, eat, third class, fourth class, study or do homework, eat, sleep, repeat.

However, after maybe a week, Alex decided to break the routine. 

Aaron and Angelica were walking to lunch, late after the whole class was held a bit longer so that the Professor could finish the lesson. When they entered the Great Hall, they headed over to the Slytherin table. Alex was sitting there, but he hadn’t gotten any food yet, which was odd. When they reached him and sat down, he immediately started talking.

”Hey, so I was thinking maybe we eat outside by the lake today?” He looked rather nervous.

”Sure.” Aaron said warily.

”Mind telling us why? You wouldn’t look this nervous if you just wanted a change of scenery.”

”I want you to meet a friend. And... he doesn’t really have any others friends at Hogwarts besides me, which means he doesn’t have any friends in his house, which means he’s always sitting alone at mealtimes and I wanted to sit with him but I obviously can’t sit at the Gryffindor table and I also didn’t want to not sit with you and I think you’d like him?”

Angelica laughed. “Calm down Alex, we don’t need his life story.”

”Right...”

She laughed again. “Let’s get some food and head out to the lake.”

Angelica had forgotten how beautiful the lake was. It didn’t get nearly enough attention. The dark and glass-like water held far more life than most students realized. She knew this only because of Aaron, who knew more about the school than almost all in their year, given that his father had been a previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

There was someone sitting by the edge of the lake with lots of dark, curly hair pulled into a ponytail.

”John!” Alex called out. ‘John’ turned to smile at Alex. It was John Laurens. Angelica’s father knew Henry Laurens, and subsequently invited him to his dinner parties. Not that they liked each other, but apparently when you know someone important, you invite them to your dinner parties. John was usually at those parties too, though for the most part he kept to himself and helped his mother take care of his three other siblings. So she didn’t know him as well as you’d expect for someone her father had been inviting to parties as long as she could remember. What she did know, is that he wasn’t as bad as people said. The amount of interest he suddenly had in the floor every time his father started speaking was proof of that. The amount of interest everyone in that family had in the floor the moment Henry Laurens started speaking.

When they reached John, Alex introduced them.

“John, this is Aaron Burr, and this is Angelica Schuyler. Aaron, Angelica, this is John Laurens.”

”It’s nice to meet you.” Aaron shook John’s hand, though he seemed vaguely reluctant to do so.

”It’s nice to meet you too.”

Alex sat down next to John, and Angelica and Aaron followed suit.

”I kind of know you, but I don’t believe we’ve ever really talked.” John said to Angelica.

”No, I don’t think we have.” 

“You two know each other?” Alex asked.

“A bit?” John said.

”Our fathers work together.” Angelica supplied. “And my father likes hosting dinner parties.” She then transfigured a random leaf into a blanket to sit on and set their food on.

”And my father likes going to dinner parties so he can share his awful opinions with whoever will listen.”

Aaron, who up until this point had looked tense, visibly relaxed. Visibly to her, at least. He hadn’t _really_ looked that tense in the first place, just little things that Angelica could recognize after knowing him for a year. His hands had been shoved in his pockets, curling around his wand, his back straighter than usual, and his eyes darting around John’s face, taking in every detail. But now that he knew what John thought of his father, he was relaxed.

”As much as I’d like to sit here talking all lunch, we really should eat.” Angelica said. “Though, I’m sure we can continue insulting Henry Laurens as we do.”

~

“Flying Lessons For First Years! Starts on Monday!”

The words were pasted on the bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room. John could hear excitement on all sides. He didn’t join in. Partly because he had no friends and partly because he wasn’t that happy about it. Sure, John had flown brooms and played Quidditch before. He wasn’t terrible. But he wasn’t brilliant. And anyway, the only position that was open or would be open for a few years was seeker, the only position John couldn't play to save his life. Oh, and first years weren’t even allowed to play on the house teams.

The excitement became interspersed with grumbles when people started realizing they shared the lesson with the Slytherins.

_Oh well. At least I’ll have Alex._

~

So far, Thomas had tried to keep mostly to himself. He talked to James almost exclusively. He spent his days in the library with James, returned to the common room late, and went up to the dormitory even later. Mostly in an effort to avoid Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Unfortunately, this was also the strategy that Alexander Hamilton had decided to use. Also unfortunately, Thomas did not get along with Alexander Hamilton. He didn’t even really know _why,_ they just didn’t get along. Scratch that, he knew why. Because Hamilton was an infuriating little shit. This was obviously bad, given how much time they were forced to spend together. And hey, Thomas would still rather be in the same room as him than Draco Malfoy. And now he would be outside, learning to fly brooms. With both of them. And the first year Slytherins. And the first year Gryffindors. Yay!

Thomas walked on the outskirts of the group of Slytherins trying to find their way to the Quidditch grounds. When they stepped out onto the grass, they could see rows of broomsticks layed out on the ground. They were a bit early, so they had nothing to do but wait.

“The sun’s really bright today.” Thomas heard one of Malfoy’s bodyguards say. He fought the urge to roll his eyes.

”Great observation there, genius.” Hamilton retorted. “It’s not like the sun is bright everyday.”

”What was that?” Malfoy said, turning on Hamilton. 

Hamilton drew himself up to his full height- which was still extremely short- and started to open his mouth before Malfoy cut him off.

”Is it true you were raised by a muggle?”

Hamilton looked thrown off by the sudden change in subject. Nevertheless, he replied.

”Yes. My mother is a muggle. But I don’t see why that matters. It clearly doesn’t play into intellect or ability if that one,” he gestured at the bodyguard, “is pureblood. And isn’t the best witch in our year muggleborn?”

Malfoy chose to disregard the last few sentences. “And everyone knows that Slytherin house doesn’t let anyone in unless they have magical blood. So your dad must be a wizard. What happened to him? I heard he left. Left because he didn’t want to deal with his bastard son.”

”Who told you that?” Hamilton practically snarled.

”Oh so it’s true then?” Hamilton looked ready to punch Malfoy. His hands were clenched into fists and he was shaking with rage. By this point, everyone in the class had arrived and were all either trying to avoid looking at Malfoy and Hamilton or eagerly watching.

They were saved by Madam Hooch. Thomas had never been so happy to see a teacher. That is, until she started yelling at them.

After a lengthy lecture on how fighting was prohibited, she finally began to teach. She led them through getting their brooms into their hands, how to grip them, and lots and lots of safety precautions.

Thomas had flown a broom before- of course he had, he was a pureblood- so he kind of just went through the motions, not really paying attention. That is, until the kid who accidentally flew off before they were supposed to. That was hard to ignore. Thomas didn’t know the kid, he thought his hast name might’ve been Longbottom? But still he watched in fascination as he flew higher and higher. As Madam Hooch yelled at him to come down, which Thomas thought was kind of stupid- the kid obviously didn’t know how to get down. He winced along with everyone else when the kid fell and broke his wrist. He watched as Madam Hooch rushed the kid off to the hospital wing, yelling threats about what happens if any of them start flying while she’s gone. (Needless to say, what happens is not good.) He watched silently as Malfoy approached the spot where the kid had fallen. Malfoy bent over and picked up a glass sphere from the ground.

”Looks like Longbottom’s dropped his remembrall!”

_Here we go._

”Give it here, Malfoy.” Harry Potter stepped to face Malfoy.

”And why should I? Because you say so? Believe it or not, Potter, not everyone worships the ground you walk upon.”

_”Give it here.”_

Malfoy laughed. “I don’t think I will. I might just leave it for Longbottom to find. How about up a tree?” He climbed onto his broom and flew off. Thomas’s focus was directed on Potter, as was the focus of almost everyone there. He was arguing with a Gryffindor girl. She was telling him not to be an idiot and fly after Malfoy. So if course, Potter flew after Malfoy. He was good, especially for someone who’d been raised by muggles and had probably never been on a broom before. Potter and Malfoy had a screaming match that no one else could hear, before Malfoy threw the remembrall and came back to the ground, leaving Potter to chase after it. Thomas thought he’d smash into the ground. Yeah, he was good, especially for his first time on a broom, but who was _that_ good? Harry Potter, apparently.

Potter has just landed when, “POTTER!” The shriek came from Professor McGonagall. Everyone looked on sympathetically as he was dragged away by McGonagall, all fairly certain this would be one of the last times they saw him.

~

Sitting in the stands right before the first Quidditch match of the year, Aaron Burr found himself wondering why he was there. Sure, Quidditch was a fine game, and he supposed it was a nice break from school.

But the thing was, Aaron Burr really really really really really _didn’t_ care about Quidditch and despite what Angelica, Alexander, and John Laurens all said, he was not there just because Theodosia Bartow was a Gryffindor chaser. 

Okay, maybe he was there just because Theodosia Bartow was a Gryffindor chaser. But he wasn’t going to admit that.

Honestly, he didn’t even know why he bothered. It’s not like she knew he existed. It’s not like he would ever actually talk to her. It’s not like he was actually doing anything by sitting in the _Slytherin_ stands. And he didn’t even have anyone to talk to while he watched the game. Not that he had any great friends. Sure, Angelica and Alexander were okay, but Angelica and his friendship- if you could call it that- mostly consisted of them trying to annoy each other as much as possible and he’d just met Alexander at the beginning of the year. Though, he was growing on Aaron- he’d though he would hate Alexander but found himself enjoying his company.

When he’d asked Angelica if she’d go, she’d laughed and shaken her head, while saying something about how hard he’d fallen. He wasn’t exactly surprised. He’d known it was a long shot to ask Angelica, and he’d already known she’d decline even before he asked. Then he asked Alexander. He’d also said no. Aaron knew that Alexander didn’t know much about Quidditch, having been raised by his muggle mother. The one time he’d asked Aaron and Angelica to explain it to him, he’d been quick to declare how ridiculous it sounded, which earned him a few glares from others in the common room. Needless to say, it also wasn’t a surprise when Alexander refused to go to the game.

Because he wasn’t at the game, Alexander was probably off studying in the library or doing homework or something actually productive. Probably with the company of John Laurens. John Laurens, another person he’d thought he would hate but didn’t. Of course, those assumptions of hatred had been made mostly based on John’s family. Aaron had heard of them even before his first year at Hogwarts. He knew Henry Laurens has a son close to his age, and he was glad he was going to Hogwarts instead of Ilvermorny where he’d have to go to school with the son of Henry Laurens.

And now, not only was the son of Henry Laurens going to Hogwarts, he was also the best friend of one of Aaron’s only friends. 

Aaron had been confused when Alexander had brought it up the first night they were there. Then when Alexander said he’d sat with him on the train... as random a place as it was, sitting on the train with someone on the way to Hogwarts tended to create friendships that lasted years. He thought he’d been remarkably calm about the whole thing, even though he was silently cursing his terrible luck the entire time. 

But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe if not he would’ve continued to judge John for his father, without even meeting him.

Loud cheering drew his attention to the field. The players walked on as the kid who gave the commentary yelled out their names. Aaron didn’t really pay attention until, 

“THEODOSIA BARTOW!”

There was one other name that caught his attention.

”HARRY POTTER!” 

_Isn’t he a first year? They aren’t allowed to be on Quidditch teams yet... but I guess it makes sense. It’s Harry Potter. And McGonagall is Gryffindor head of house, and also deputy headmistress. I’m sure she could bend a few rules._

Aaron spent most of the rest of the game watching Theodosia. Watching as her many long, dark braids flew behind her in the wind. Watching her fly through the air on her broom. Watching her throw the quaffle to the other chasers. Watching her making goals. Watching her smile when Harry Potter caught the snitch and Gryffindor won.

After the game, he slipped away, hiding in the mass of disappointed Slytherins as they made their way back to the common room. No one payed him much attention. Not very many people ever paid him much attention. If there was one thing Aaron was good at, it was flying under the radar.

~

Christmas at the Schuyler house was an important affair. And, as everyone knows, important affairs mean dinner parties.

Isn’t this exciting!

Well, Angelica actually was excited, mostly because she was finally home. She just wished home didn’t involve so many damn dinner parties.

The most notable of these parties was just a few days before Christmas. Angelica was forcing herself to make it seem like she was having a good time walking around and talking to random people who knew her but she barely remembered. Eventually, somehow, she found herself seated next to Eleanor Laurens. She held her youngest daughter- who couldn’t have been older than five- on her lap.

“You’re Angelica Schuyler, correct?” Her voice was smooth and soft.

“I am. And you’re Eleanor Laurens?”

“Yes. John has mentioned you in his letters.”

“He has?”

“Yes. Along with two others.”

“Alexander and Aaron.”

“Thank you.” 

“What?”

“For befriending him. Giving him a chance. John has never had very many friends and I’ve always worried about it. Not that he’s unpleasant, it’s just that people shut him out because of his name and the reputation it carries. That was part of the reason I agreed to let Henry send him to Hogwarts- I thought it’d be easier and less people who’d know. But then in his letters he only ever mentioned Alexander but then you and Aaron showed up.”

“It’s really no problem. John is a good friend and a good person.”

Eleanor smiled. “I’m glad he has you three.”

“And I’m glad we have him.” There was a pause in the conversation in which they just sat there.

“Mom.” A girl who bared a considerable resemblance to John stood before them.

“What is it, Martha?”

“When is this thing gonna be over?”

“A few hours.”

Martha groaned.

Eleanor sighed and pulled a book from the inside of her bag. “You can read for a bit and then come back.”

“Thanks mom!”

Eleanor smiled after her, before turning to Angelica once more. “That was my oldest daughter, Martha. No offense, but she hates these parties.”

“No offense taken. I hate them too.”

“I think it might be partially because of Henry. He has a habit of stirring up controversy.”

“Yeah. I know. Even at Hogwarts, most people know of him. And, eh, don’t have the best opinions?”

She sighed. “That’s to be expected.”

Angelica was about to ask why Eleanor stayed with him, when something came back. A quote, from a book she’d read sometime in the past year.

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

And she no longer needed to ask.

~

John was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, to the surprise of precisely no one. He did feel guilty for not going home to see his siblings and mother, but his mom had told him to stay at Hogwarts if he wanted to. Alex was also staying at Hogwarts, and Angelica and Aaron were going home. During the holidays, John mostly planned to sit around with Alex and do whatever. 

“Hey John?” He and Alex were sitting in the Slytherin common room. Normally they wouldn’t be allowed to, but the rules weren’t exactly being enforced at the moment.

“Yeah?”

“About your family, I only really know about your dad. Not your mother or your siblings. Tell me about them.”

John jumped at the invitation. “Well, I have four siblings.”

“Four? That’s a lot.”

“Yeah. They’re all younger than me. The second oldest is Martha, she’s two years younger than me. She loves messing with people, and she’s pretty good at getting away with it. She’s also crazy smart. It’s kinda creepy. Oddly enough, she does terribly with tutors, I think she’s scared away at least three in the past year alone. Then there’s Henry, who’s four years younger than me. He loves books, even though he can’t read very well, they’re pretty much his life force at this point. He likes to make up his own stories too. Most of them are awful but it’s still adorable. James is five years younger. He’s a big dreamer. He gets involved with Martha’s pranks a lot, and I think may soon be constructing his own. I’m terrified for the day that happens. No one will be safe. And Mary Eleanor, who’s seven years younger. She doesn’t really have a developed personality yet, given that she’s four, but at the moment she’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. And my mom, Eleanor. She’s an artist, and probably the biggest role model in my life. Aside from the marrying someone like my dad part.”

“They sound great.” 

“They are.”

“You want to be an artist?”

“Maybe? I’d like to do that, or be a healer. Healer is probably the one that my dad will let me pursue though. He wouldn’t want me to be an artist.”

“Why do you have to care about what he wants?”

“How can I not?” It sounded pathetic when John said it out loud, but he truly couldn’t see any life for himself other than one his father approved of.

“Well, that failed miserably.”

“What do you mean?”

“I could tell you missed your family, and I was trying to make you feel better.”

“If that’s your goal, you can accomplish it just by being here.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, before bursting out in laughter.

“You are the cheesiest person I’ve ever met.”

~

The end of year feast was in just a few minutes. Exams were over. And the halls of Hogwarts were filled with whispers of Harry Potter. They were everywhere, and Angelica didn’t know what to believe anymore, especially since every rumor was more unlikely than the last. Some said he’d recovered a lost treasure. Some said he’d gone on an epic quest across multiple continents. Some said he’d fought Voldemort himself. The only things that were certain were that Harry Potter did _something,_ and that Professor Quirrell was gone. Not a huge surprise, Hogwarts hadn’t had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher last more than a year in decades. Angelica wasn’t too upset about it, she’d never really liked Quirrell. He wasn’t a great teacher.

But despite the adventures of Harry Potter, life still went on. Eliza was still writing to Peggy every week, even though they’d see each other soon.

”Angie!” Eliza bounced down the hall toward her.

”Hey Liza. You look happy.”

”I just can’t wait to be home again.”

“Yeah. We should head in to the hall, we really don’t want to be late.”

“Okay. I’ll see you on the train.”

The hall was decorated with silver and green. Slytherin had won the house cup. Angelica sat down next to Alex.

“Why are they all glaring at us?” He asked.

“Because,” Aaron said from across the table, “we’re the Slytherins and everyone hates us. Also we’ve won the house cup again.”

“But why’s it such a big deal?”

“Because we’re the Slytherins and everyone hates us.”

“But one of Slytherin’s traits is ambition, right? So doesn’t it make sense that we’re the ones who try the hardest to win?”

“Yep. But we’re-“

“The Slytherins and everyone hates us.” Angelica interrupted. “Yeah, I think he gets it.”

Dumbledore arrived at the front of the room.

“Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man’s wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into this delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. Now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve; Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty two; Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty six; and Slytherin, with four hundred and seventy two.”

The Slytherin table broke out into cheers.

“Yes, yes, well done Slytherin. However,”

“Of course.” Aaron muttered.

“Recent events must be takin into account. I have a few last minute points to dish out. First- to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.” 

Angelica glanced at Alexander, who was staring at Dumbledore. 

“Fifty points... for a chess game. Am I hearing this right?” 

“I think so...”

Dumbledore began speaking again. “Second- to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. Third- to Mr. Harry Potter... for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points.” 

Gryffindor was now tied in the lead with Slytherin.

“Wait for it...” Aaron said, barely heard over the cheering.

“There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom.”

“And there it is.”

The cheering was deafening. 

“How much courage do you think it takes to stand up to your headmaster?” Alexander snapped.

“Alex, look.” Angelica said. “I would love nothing more than to do that, but you can’t.”

“But this is ridiculous!”

“No one’s arguing with that. But you have to just accept it.” Aaron said.

“One hundred and seventy points? For what? For winning a chess game, having logic, being brave, and standing up to a friend?”

Dumbledore clapped his hands, and the decorations changed to red and gold.

“I think I have a statement that works here. We’re the Slytherins and everyone hates us.”

~

On platform nine and three quarters, John turned to face Alex. “So this is goodbye for the next three months.”

”Yep.” They stood there, silent, before John stepped forward and hugged him.

”I’ll miss you.”

”So will I. But it’s only three months. We can stay alive for that long.”

”Can we?” John said dryly. 

“Sure we can. And we can write to each other.”

John cast his eyes down. “About that... I’m probably not going to be able to write or receive any letters this summer. My father won’t want me to. I’ve disobeyed basically everything he’s told me to do this year. He knows I’ve made friends that he wouldn’t approve of. He’ll want to cut off all my connections to friends I’ve made this year in the hopes of destroying all of my friendships and forcing me to find others.”

”Oh.”

”But I’ll still see you next year!” John said, clearly seeing the dismayed look on Alex’s face.

”John!” A voice cut through the noise of the station. John looked over and quickly paled.

”I-I have to go. But Alexander,” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “you’re the closest friend I got.” He started backing away. “Goodbye, Hamilton.”

”Goodbye, Laurens.”

Alex stood and watched John walk away.

”Alexander!” Alex turned around. It was Angelica. “Good, I wanted to catch you before you left. You know you can send me an owl if you need anything, right?”

”Yeah. Will do.” _Probably won’t._

”Alex.” She said sternly.

”What?” He asked, feigning innocence.

”Actually. If you need _anything,_ send me a letter. There’s no shame in needing help. Believe it or not, I care about you, Alexander. And I don’t want to see anything happen to you. You know what, I want you to send me a letter every two weeks to let me know how you’re doing. If I don’t get one, I’m going to come check up on you, okay?”

”Okay. I’ll write.”

**Author's Note:**

> The quote, “We accept the love we think we deserve” comes from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I reread it pretty recently and couldn’t help but put that in. It’s a really good book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the movie.
> 
> For the sake of this story I’m going to pretend that an old, slow owl could fly across the Atlantic Ocean. (I mean maybe it actually could. I don’t think so, though.)
> 
> If ships are a thing that you think should be in the description of the series, comment so and I’ll put them there.


End file.
